Magpies Announce Home Friendly

Newcastle United have announced that they will host Portuguese Primeira Liga side SC Braga at St. James' Park in their final pre-season friendly of the summer.

Jesualdo Ferreira's side, who finished fourth last season, will come to St. James' Park on Saturday, 10th August - the weekend before the Barclays Premier League season begins - with a 6pm kick-off. It will be the Magpies' only home fixture of their pre-season campaign.

Last summer, Newcastle faced Os Arcebispos - who included the recently-departed former Magpies midfielder Hugo Viana - in the Trofeu Internacional de Futebol do Guadiana and beat them 2-1 thanks to goals from Ryan Taylor and Demba Ba.

They went on to win the Portuguese League Cup - the Taça da Liga - in April, beating Porto 1-0 in the final, and will play in next season's Europa League as one of nine seeded teams.

In 2012/13, Braga competed in the Champions League but failed to qualify from Group H, which featured Manchester United, Galatasary and CFR Cluj.

However, such experience at the top table of European football will make them the perfect opposition for the Magpies on the eve of the new campaign.

Ticket prices will be announced shortly, as will the rest of United's pre-season fixtures.